Applying for Visas for Extended Family

The rules on applying for visas to bring extended family to live in the UK vary according to the nature of the relationship and the family member’s country of origin.

European Citizens

Nationals of countries in the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland generally have the right to live and work in the UK. This right is dependent on the European national being able to show that they will either be working in the UK or that they will otherwise be able to support themselves and their family without having to rely on public funds.

European nationals who satisfy the above criteria may bring with them to live in the UK the following family members:

Their spouse or civil partner;

Children or grandchildren of the European national or their spouse / civil partner – the children must be under 21 or dependent on the European national;

The parents or grandparents of the European national or of their spouse / civil partner – but not if the European national is a student.

European nationals may also be able to bring the following family members to the UK:

Unmarried partner – they will have to be able to prove that they are in an enduring relationship;

Extended family – brothers, sisters, cousins etc. may be eligible but only if they can prove that they are dependent on the European national.

Family members of European nationals who are not themselves nationals of the EU, EEA or Switzerland will have to apply for an EEA family permit before coming to the UK.

Children of Nationals of Other Countries

Children under the age of 18 may usually join their parent or parents to live in the UK if the parents are or will be legally settled there. The parents must be able to support their child without relying on public funds and must have sufficient accommodation for the child. The child must also be financially dependent on the parents, not be married and not have previously been living apart from their parents.

Extended Family Members of UK Residents

In some circumstances foreign nationals may be able to bring the following extended family members to the UK: parents, or widowed parent, where at least one is over the age of 65; grandparents, or a widowed grandparent, where one is over the age of 65. To qualify:

The relative must be financially dependent on their UK resident family member;

The relative must not have any other close family members who could look after them; and,

The UK resident must be able to support and house their relative without having to rely on public funds.

Parents or grandparents under the age of 65 may be able to qualify to live in the UK if the above conditions are satisfied and they live “in the most exceptional compassionate circumstances”.

Children over the age of 18, siblings, aunts, uncles or any other relative may also be able to qualify to live in the UK with their resident family member if they satisfy all of the previous conditions and live alone.

Applications for settlement visas for family members are generally made on form VAF 4 – Settlement or may be made online at the UK Border Agency’s website.

Refugees

A foreign national who has been granted refugee status or exceptional leave to remain in the UK may be able to bring their spouse, civil partner or unmarried partner and any dependent children under the age of 18 to the UK. These family members may qualify for UK “family reunion” entry clearance. Other extended family members do not necessarily qualify on this ground but may be given permission to come to the UK on compassionate grounds if they are dependent on the refugee.

@Fari if your husband's sister is not an EEA national and he applied after February 2017 his application will be refused. If your husband's sister is an EEA national and his application is approved he will not be able to sponsor you using that permit.

TJ. - 12-Dec-17 @ 10:40 AM

My husband applied EEA extended family member visa via his sister if he get this visa can he call his wife?? From non eu country??

Fari - 12-Dec-17 @ 1:51 AM

hi turkish citizen living germany with resident permitshe is single andshe has child eu citizen can she move ukrely on child ?

seko - 19-Nov-17 @ 1:44 AM

@Kevin777 it is harder for British citizens to bring dependant relatives to the UK than EU nationals. If your sister was refused under EU Law it is highly unlikely she will qualify under the more strict UK law applied to British citizens.

TJ. - 5-Nov-17 @ 4:39 PM

@Ironsissi if your husband is living in the UK on a EEA residency permit, this permit can be extended to any direct descendants he may have i.e. children. So he can apply to bring his child to the UK using EU law.

TJ. - 5-Nov-17 @ 4:32 PM

I am an Italian woman married with a Kenyan. Both working in uk since more than 3 years ago. We are settled here.My husband has a 10 years old child from a previous relation. The child is still living in Kenya and my husband wants him to come to live and study here. What we should do?

Ironsissi - 4-Nov-17 @ 3:59 PM

I'm from a non-eea country and my wife is a EU national living in the UK for the last 14 years. My sister also a non - eea national lives with us,previously she was studying and entered the UK in 2005 as a student, since 2010 she applied as EEA extended family member visa via my wife as dependant. Till now we couldn't satisfy the home office only on one condition that is 'prior to come to the UK my wife supported her financially' - as we don't anything to prove like transfer remittance and bank statements as it was back in 2004 and she only used to send by cash via someone travelling. She got refused few times despite appeals and tribunal etc as home office keep insisting for these proofs. Now I just been naturalised as a British citizen, my question is if my sister can apply as a extended family member that I'm sponsoring and supporting her as she is been here 12 years and my back home my mum and dad are old/retired - can't support her; live on a small pension of only £300, she has nowhere to live back home and would be hard to go back and start a new life again.

Kevin777 - 4-Nov-17 @ 10:52 AM

@Lau - you would have to go home at the end of your visa and apply from there.

Assia - 12-Oct-17 @ 2:42 PM

cjb - Your Question:

Hi I'm a British citizen living in the uk is there any possible way for me to bring my cousin who is a Filipino citizen in to live with me?

Hi I'm a British citizen living in the uk is there any possible way for me to bring my cousin who is a Filipino citizen in to live with me?

cjb - 10-Oct-17 @ 4:40 PM

Hello. I have a Tier 4 visa expiring on 15 Nov 2017 and now I would like to switch to a family visa as the unmarried partner of an EEA national. We read the requirements and we fulfill them all, including 2+ years living together. Should I apply ASAP to the Residence Card or should I wait until the Tier 4 expires and apply for the Family Permit from my country of origin? Thanks.

Lau - 9-Oct-17 @ 9:45 PM

I am a France citizen living in UK. I am 14 years old. Can I invite my aunt from Africa to come and live with me.

Muo - 5-Oct-17 @ 6:24 PM

I am an EU(French) national, my husband is a non - EU national (Indian). Both of us are working as software engineers in Dubai. We are planning to move to UK for long term. Kindly let me know if I will be able to sponsor my husband as dependent (EEA family permit) because both of us have to quit our current jobs, move to UK and then start searching for jobs. Will my husband get a EEA family permit before moving to UK? If so, will he be able to look out for jobs immediately after moving to UK.

Samantha - 26-Sep-17 @ 7:35 PM

Hello, i am an uk British citizen and my husband has come over to the uk on a spouse visa 5 months ago. Together, me and my husband are earning over £18,600 and meet the financial requirements.we will need to continue to earn this for 5 years until my husband get Indefinite leave to remain. If i get pregnant, does the finiancial requirement increase?

Alisha - 20-Sep-17 @ 7:09 PM

i have been living in uk since august 2009 . i married a Hungary girl in 2014 and i got my residence card of a family member of EEA national . my question is can i apply for British citizen now ? or i have to wait till 2019 for 10 years ( ILR ) / till 2020 for 5 years( PR )

bolumna - 19-Sep-17 @ 11:37 PM

i am british citizen , applying extention visa for my wife and two daughter . do i need to pay nhs for 3 of them or only for my wife? they are on pakistani passport.

azam - 19-Sep-17 @ 1:09 PM

I'm a British born citizen and I'm married to my husband who is from Pakistan and he has obtained a British citizenship, we have been married for 11 years, we have three kids, and we're doing great. But my husband has only one brother in pakistan and he has a family, they're not doing wellfinancially and my kids each time we go they come back so distraught from leaving there uncle and cousins behind. I was wondering if we could apply for them to join us here in England.

Zara - 16-Sep-17 @ 9:07 PM

Ben - Your Question:

I am British and l am staying in England at present with my Brazilian wife who has a 6 month visa to stay here in Britain. How can I go about requesting an extension to her visa on compassionate grounds as my sister is ill.Thanks

Our Response:

Much depends upon what type of visa your wife is on, please see gov.uk link here . However, your wife would have to stick to the terms of her visitor visa and return home when the visa ends if she is not eligible to extend it. If she and you then wish to apply for a spouse visa, you can do so via the link here , if you fulfil the requirements.

AboutImmigration - 5-Sep-17 @ 3:57 PM

i have been living in uk since august 2009 . i married a Hungary girl in 2014 and i got my residence card of a family member of EEA national . my question is can i apply for British citizen now ? or i have to wait till 2019 for 10 years ( ILR ) / till 2020 for 5 years( PR )

sunny - 3-Sep-17 @ 7:12 PM

I am British and l am staying in England at present with my Brazilian wife who has a 6 month visa to stay here in Britain.How can I go about requesting an extension to her visa on compassionate grounds as my sister is ill.
Thanks

Ben - 1-Sep-17 @ 4:24 PM

Hello:my name is issack in kenya refugee ,my sister is u.k citizen and i would like to join her in u.k what is the advise can you give me and visa is best for to apply

Zakiish - 22-Aug-17 @ 4:03 PM

Ases01 - Your Question:

Hi, My son got married in March in the U.K. to an America citizen. For one thing and another they've now decided they want to live here with us. What is the best visa to go for - she also would like to study here as well. Any info would be really helpful just don't know where to start!

Our Response:

Your son and his wife would have to apply for a family visa, please see link here , if his wife wishes to live in the UK as his dependent. She would have to apply from her home country and your son would have to be classed as being 'ordinarily resident' in the UK. They would also have to satisfy all the other listed requirements in order to be able to apply i.e financial ones. If his wife is currently here in the UK on a marriage visa, then she would have to keep to the terms of this visa and apply for a family visa afresh. Alternatively, she could apply for a student or working visa independently.

AboutImmigration - 22-Aug-17 @ 11:21 AM

I aman EEA citizen and my wife (non-EEA) are currently working in Kuwait. She has a six month UK visit visa which expires in December this year.We are considering moving to the UK early next year. Can she apply for the EEA Permit now and specify a travel date early next year, or does she have to wait till the visit visa expires.

Ron - 21-Aug-17 @ 5:58 PM

Hi,
My son got married in March in the U.K. to an America citizen. For one thing and another they've now decided they want to live here with us. What is the best visa to go for - she also would like to study here as well. Any info would be really helpful just don't know where to start!

Ases01 - 21-Aug-17 @ 3:30 PM

Riz - Your Question:

Hi everyone.i have been living in U.K. For 7 years.i m non eu and I got marry with eu citizen.i wanna call my brother to uk.he is 24 years old.please let me know what is the procedure,which visa I need to apply and which documents required?

Hi everyone.i have been living in U.K. For 7 years.i m non eu and I got marry with eu citizen.i wanna call my brother to uk.he is 24 years old.please let me know what is the procedure,which visa I need to apply and which documents required?

Riz - 6-Aug-17 @ 1:58 PM

Hi
I am living in UK from last 15 years. I want to call my sister and her husband and they have 2 kids 5yrs and 14 yrs. I support them because they lost business in India. Can I bring them to uk permanently.

Pb - 27-Jul-17 @ 9:55 PM

@Boyniba. Your sister would have to apply for a work visa independently of you.

Rudi - 24-Jul-17 @ 3:07 PM

I am originally from the Fiji Islands, I joined the British army in 2000 and now I'm a British citizen, I want to get my sister over to come and work, what type of visa will my sister need to be able to join me and work?

Boyniba - 23-Jul-17 @ 3:45 AM

amazinggrace - Your Question:

Hii have lived in UK for 9 years and have naturalised to a british citizen. Can I invite my 16 year old sister from Africa as my dependant since my mother passed away and she has no one to live with